Posted on 03/02/2002 4:50:39 PM PST by VRWC_minion
Sen. Kerry Chides GOP on War Comments, Bashes Bush
Sat Mar 2, 8:13 PM ET
By Christopher Noble
CONCORD, N.H. (Reuters) - U.S. Senator John Kerry, in New Hampshire to support Democratic candidates for Congress, on Saturday accused Republicans of hiding behind a "false cloak of patriotism" as they attacked Democrats for questioning White House plans to expand the war on terrorism.
While Kerry has not declared himself a candidate for the White House, press aides hint that he is using trips to New Hampshire and other states to gauge support for a run.
"He wants to know that if he decides to do that, he can do it in a serious way knowing that resources are there," said David Wade, Kerry's director of communications.
The speech was Kerry's third appearance in the Granite state since the 2000 election and he used his remarks to launch a broadside against Republicans in the aftermath of Democratic questioning of plans to fight the war on terror on new fronts.
"Those who try to stifle the vibrancy of our democracy and shield policies from scrutiny behind a false cloak of patriotism miss the real value of what our troops defend," Kerry said, according to a prepared text of his remarks.
"We will ask questions and we will defend our democracy," he said.
In comments that sounded a lot like a presidential campaign stump speech, Kerry denounced Bush's policies on the economy, education, energy and health care.
Kerry, who is seeking election to a fourth term in the U.S. senate this November, vowed to defend a woman's right to have an abortion, protect workers' ability to unionize and fight Bush's policies that he said undermined civil rights.
"We hear a lot about values from our friends on the other side of the aisle. But values to them are too often just code words for excluding some Americans from fully sharing in rights and opportunities," Kerry said.
"We have to leave here tonight more determined than ever to resist their judicial assault on civil rights and to protect the right to choose -- and we must be determined to be a society that's inclusive and not exclusive," he said.
OVERREACTION
Earlier this week, Democratic leaders in Congress began openly questioning the White House's plans to expand the campaign against terrorism to countries besides Afghanistan (news - web sites). They criticized the Bush administration for failing to consult with Congress and accused it of having no clear view on how the war should be conducted.
Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle sparked the biggest storm of Republican criticism on Thursday after he said he thought the war had been successful so far but expressed concern that it was expanding "without at least a clear direction to date."
He said Saudi-born fugitive Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) must be found if the war was to be considered a success. Washington blames bin Laden and his al Qaeda network for the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon (news - web sites).
After the comments, Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott accused Daschle of trying to divide the nation and House Republican whip Tom Delay called the remarks "disgusting".
But Kerry, a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, said the Republican response was a partisan political attack.
"Their contrived, planned political response was one of the greatest overreactions of all time, because no one in our nation has done anything except express support for our troops and honor their service," Kerry said.
Another Plan B. Plan B's that haven't worked include the Enron plan B, the economy Plan B and the deficit Plan B.
Looks like this next one is the hail mary pass to beat all hail mary passes.
And DU is ecstatic If they only knew how much this is going to hurt them
I passed by this speech on CSPAN...its on now (7:56 central) live. Seeing any Demon-rat official making a speech nowadays is a bore--they're so predictable, and so mundane. I think Americans look at them like they look at retarded children who try hard--with pity, but without trust. Hopefully someday they'll look at them without the pity.
They see those 80% positives and just can't help themselves.
Actually it was a spontaneous response to a contrived, planned political attack on President Bush. The Dems continue to do the very things they say the Pubbies are doing. Straight out of the Clinton playbook. They need a new playbook in addition to needing a new "Plan B" because neither are workin for them anymore.
THe chances of this working are so slim, they have to be desparate beyond our wildest dreams.
Someone needs to remind this new hairdo liberal what happened to the last 3 clowns who ran for President from his state: Tax-on-gas got beat by Impeached42, Duke-tax-ass got his CLOCK cleaned by GHW Bush, and his superior senator, Ted "The Swimmer" Kennedy, got beat by JIMMY CARTER!!HAR HAR HAR!!
A Pi$$ant who joined the anti-war movement and threw someone's medals over the White House fence and claimed that they were his. John "Live Shot" Kerry is a piece of $hit.
Kerry is the one who tapped into the Heinz family fortune by marrying the wife of deceased Senator Heinz (R - PA). He is also a condescending vagina.
Keyy would be smart to keep her away from John Edwards.
Almost.
Disgusting jerkoff.
They aren't because:
1) We are the stupid party, this is showcased quite often with remarks like "Scottish Law" and so on and so forth.
2) Allot of the public still believes in the eternal battle of "Democrats for the little guy" v/s "Republicans for big business" as FDR defined it. They are just stuck there and when you view it like that the Democrats have a huge advantage.
I wish we were more agressive and loose, and I wish we would reframe the debate as: Individual Liberty v/s Government Tyranny
The "F." is so apropo, don't you think?
P.S. don't tell them...
I can't believe Reuters referred to one of their own as a liberal. Bernie's "Bias" must be having an effect.
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